Almost 2.3 million people signed an online petition that calls on Congress to deliver $2,000 monthly stimulus payments until the coronavirus pandemic is over. 

The Change.org petition, created in 2020 by Colorado restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin, directly addresses the House and the Senate, urging both congressional chambers to draft a bill that would provide “$2,000 payments for adults and $1,000 payment for kids” until the pandemic subsides.  

In an updated version of the petition, Bonin also noted that the slight economic recovery “hasn't reached many Americans.” 

“The true unemployment rate for low-wage workers is estimated at over 20 [percent] and many people face large debts from last year for things like utilities, rent and child care. These are all reasons that checks need to be targeted to people who are still struggling and that Congress needs to learn from this past year. It took nine months for Congress to send a second stimulus check, and just moments to spend it,” Bonin added. 

Eligible direct payment recipients have received three separate rounds of checks since the onset of the pandemic. The most recent direct payment was authorized under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, where recipients saw $1,400 checks, some of which are still being sent out by the IRS. 

Former President Donald Trump also signed off on stimulus payments last year, as eligible Americans received $1,200 from the first round of federal aid and $600 from the second.  

“Moving forward Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met. No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need,” Bonin wrote in an updated version of the petition. “Sign to join our movement to get recurring checks to the people.” 

The growing support for the petition comes as groups of congressional Democrats have called on the White House to pass recurring payments, arguing that the first three rounds of direct relief were not enough to help Americans crawl out of the financial turmoil caused by the pandemic. 

One effort made by several Senate Democrats pushed for recurring direct payments until the pandemic ends. 

Twenty-one senators wrote to Biden saying, “We urge you to include recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions in your Build Back Better long-term economic plan.”

“This crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions,” the lawmakers added. 

But there is little widespread congressional support for such a measure, making it unlikely that recurring stimulus payments would pass. 

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill. 

Image: Reuters